ARSON is believed to be the cause of a fire which claimed the life of a Tongaat grandmother and left her daughter-in-law fighting for her life with third degree burns. Her son is also in the hospital.
KZN police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said a case of arson, murder and two cases of attempted murder were being investigated by Tongaat police.
Maliga Naidoo, 75, burnt to death after she became entrapped in the bedroom of her Belvedere home on Wednesday morning.
Her son, Marcel, daughter-in-law, Jennifer, and grandson, Anthony, were rescued from the burning house.
The couple are in hospital with serious injuries, while their son escaped unharmed.
Jennifer’s close friend, Veni Moodley, said she was driving past the house when she noticed smoke billowing from the windows and roof.
“A friend of mine, Angelo, who is a security officer, was off duty and also stopped when he saw the smoke. Jennifer is like a sister to me. My sixth sense told me she was inside the house. Angelo and his brother broke down the main gate and we ran to help the family. I ran into the burning house to try and find Jennifer. But the smoke was too intense and I could not breathe. I had no choice but to run out.
“Anthony was rescued first. Then Marcel was pulled out. When they brought Jennifer outside, I ran to her. She was burnt badly from head to toe. It was heart-breaking to see her. I went with her in the ambulance to the hospital,” said Moodley.
“The doctors said she was critical but stable for now. They said God worked miracles, which I believe. She is currently in the ICU and doctors said they would get the best specialists to treat her.
“She has third degree burns on 80% of her body. We are praying for her speedy recovery. Her husband is still in the hospital. Fortunately, their son escaped with no injuries,” Moodley added.
She said the community and the family’s pastor were arranging the grandmother’s funeral.
“We are still struggling to come to terms with this tragedy. I pray that we can get positive feedback from doctors regarding Jennifer and Marcel’s condition. We want justice, and we hope that police make an arrest soon. We need this case to be prioritised,” she said.
Angelo Naidoo, a security officer for On Target Security, was off-duty and driving past the house when he spotted the fire.
He and his brother, Macalister Perumal “didn’t think twice” and went into the burning house to help.
They derailed the gate to gain entry into the yard.
“The main gate to the house was locked, but the sliding door leading to the lounge was opened. We shouted and called out for the occupants of the house, but there was no response. The inside of the house was engulfed in flames. We then noticed a young man at the gate. We broke the lock on the gate and rescued him.
“We asked him if there was anyone else in the house. But he was gasping for breath and could not speak. We realised there were others inside the house. Neighbours provided us with a hose. We hosed down the flames and knew we had to work fast. We did not think twice about trying to save the family,” he added.
Naidoo said he and Perumal took turns to run into the house to try and rescue the three trapped inside.
“We were told that the youngster’s parents, both in their 50s, and his grandmother were still inside. But the flames grew bigger and we could not enter the house again. We posted a message on a group chat and we got more hands on deck.
“Residents, members of the community policing forum and police officers who responded tried to gain entry into the house. The father was rescued. He was disoriented and also gasping for air. He didn't know where he was. We carried him to the ambulance and ran back to try to rescue the two women.
“The firefighters arrived and broke down a door. They rescued the man’s wife but she was severely burnt. She had third degree burns all over her body and she could not talk. The grandmother was found last. She was in her bedroom. Firefighters had to break her bedroom window and burglar bar to get to her. She had an oxygen tank in her room. It must have exploded, causing the roof to collapse on her. It was a traumatising experience,” Naidoo said.